


Old Places · New People

by Anonymous



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character's Name Spelled as Auruo Bozard, Character's Name Spelled as Berthold, Character's Name Spelled as Dawk, Character's Name Spelled as Dick lol, Character's Name Spelled as Hanji, Character's Name Spelled as Jaeger, Everyone From the 104th is 17/18 years old, Horse Jokes, Jean Appreciation Fic, Levi loves making funof the MP, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Shingeki no Kyojin: Kuinaki Sentaku | Attack on Titan: No Regrets Spoilers, The Writer Has ADHD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 01:00:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4371155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the middle of the 57th Expedition beyond the Walls, the Survey Corps are needed to return to Wall Rose. Following Government's orders, the three military branches are to work together to stop a new enemy, one that can potentially cause the fall of what remains of Humanity from the inside.</p><p>However, Levi knows more about this threat than it seems.</p><p>While his friends stay with the Military Police, Eren discovers a new side of his Captain, and learns that not everything is what it seems.</p><p>Oh, and with a sidekick horse, even.</p><p>Levi knew this was going to be the worst mission of his life. He should consider retiring after this, if they are alive by then, of course.</p><hr/><p>On hiatus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea, and thought that if I wrote it, it would be a fanfic with ACTUAL PLOT, so here we are now. I don't know if there'll be smut, I don't think I have the confidence in my English writing skills nor the 'ability' to write smut, but I WANT to write it, so I could improve my writing. I am currently re-writing my story Legends of Arkænia, from Spanish to English (even though Spanish is my first language, I've been reading English fics for 4 or 5 years now, and that has improved my understanding of the language to the point of 'wording' my thoughts in English instead of Spanish. In fact, I'd rather communicate in English than in Spanish, because I 'think in English' and its difficult to translate to Spanish every tume I want to say something. It's kinda involuntary. One day my mind was like 'stop translating in gur head and start reading it'. That's why, if you asked.me to translate something, I would be able too, because I've learned form context (I like to say 'by pinpointing' when I explain It to others), and I believe that I need to be able to write every type of situation. But, enoug with the huge ass notes.

“So," Eren said, looking around, “Where's Commander Erwin?"

“Knowing him, he probably is brushing his eyebrows," Hanji said, laughing loudly.

“Or maybe he's constipated," said Levi, taking a sip of his tea.

Eren just facepalmed.

As if on cue, the doors opened and Erwin stepped in, the chattering going down.

The Commander cleared his throat and spoke:

“Sorry for making you wait; I needed to take care of something and it took more time than I expected."

“That could be easily misinterpreted," Levi commented under his breath, and Hanji had to bite her lips not to laugh.

“A few weeks ago," Erwin continued, “we received a message from Sina. It seems like the Military Police alone is unable of taking care of the actual situation the capital is in, and so has requested the help of both the Garrison and the Survey Corps. Naturally, neither the Military Police nor the Garrison can leave the Walls, so we need to return." Upon hearing this, the soldier's groans filled up the room.

“Now that we were so close..." Hanji whined. “We were supposed to head to the forest the next week!"

“Forest?," asked Armin, “What are we supposed to do in the forest?"

“Didn't Levi tell you abo--? Hey! What was that kick for?!"

“For you to shut the fuck up." Levi said, unfazed. He took another sip and added without looking at her: “Make your brain do something useful and think a little before speaking, Glasses."

Armin watched the whole interaction, taking note of it but not asking more.

“Yes, I know it's frustrating, but if you let me, I'll explain it..." The Commander tried, and when it didn't work, he sighed and took a deep breath.

“WOULD ALL OF YOU DO ME A FAVOR AND SHUT UP?! Thank you." He then explained that the Corps where expected to meet with the other two branches upon their return to Wall Rose, to discuss strategies and determine which course of action would be the most appropriate. 

After explaining some other things Erwin announced that everyone should start preparing to leave the castle as soon as possible.

The Commander dismissed the soldiers, but when Levi saw him glancing at their direction, he told Hanji and the kids to wait.

Once the room was empty Erwin approached them and sat at the opposite side of the table. He looked at each one of them before speaking, looking at Levi as if expecting some reaction from him.

“Eren, I'm aware that you aren't fond of the Military Police," he started, causing Jean to snort and Levi to roll his eyes, “but I have to ask you to try to... get along with them."

A smug smirk had plastered itself on Jean's face upon hearing about that, and Eren wanted to punch him in the face when he opened his mouth.

“Eren, cooperating with the MP? Yeah, as if."

Both Commander and soldier ignored him, and Eren nodded with determination shining in his eyes.

“I'll do my best, sir. I can't say the same for them, though. They probably still think that I'm a monster."

“Commander?" Asked Armin, raising his hand. When the man looked at the boy, silently giving him permission to speak, the teen said: “If a member of the Military Police does as much as looking at him the wrong way, well... I am not responsible of Mikasa's actions."

“Don't worry. Eren's in Levi's charge, so no one will bother him." As he said this, he looked at Levi again.

“Good. Because I don't respond of mine's, either."

Erwin chuckled softly. Armin may look like weak, but he made it up with his wits.

“Levi, I expected the same from you," the Commander said, and the other rolled his eyes, “so make sure that I don't hear of you and Nile bickering."

“As the brat said, I am not paying the asshole's medical bill if he picks a fight with the wrong person."

Erwin sighed, knowing that it was the best he would get out of him, and looked at each one again before speaking in a more serious voice.

“I haven't said this before because I know the reactions would not have been the more desirable ones, but the situation we are to deal with is really delicate."

“It has to be," Hanji said, with no hint of humor in her voice, “if it requires the three branch to cooperate like that. What about the Training Corps, though? Aren't they needed for this operation as well?"

“Honestly, we could use all the help we could get, but it's too dangerous."

“Danger," he said, leaning forward and putting his cup on the table. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, nearly glaring ant him. “What kind of danger are we talking about, exactly?"

Erwin looked at him without faltering as he spoke.

“I'm afraid that is one you know rather well, Captain."

He didn't like where this was going. Erwin never, ever calls him nothing other than Levi. But by doing that now, he saw that the man in front of him was no acting like his friend but as his superior.

“... Did you say that the _capital's_ situation is basically fucked up, Commander?" Levi asked in a similar fashion, surprising the others present.

“I believe I did."

For a few seconds, the two men looked at each other, the silence so tense it was almost tangible.

Then, Levi spoke.

“I'm not going back to that fucking place even if that saved me from being executed. And it's final." He said, standing up and heading to the door, which was closed after him with a lot more force than necessary.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the previous chapter on my phone, and this one too. The computer takes a lot of time to initiate一 bought back in 2003, hasn't been actualized even once since then. So, English isn't my first language + when I know that someone is going to read what I write I get nervous and then I forget some basic things or keep making stupid mistakes + I write on a phone + I have no beta reader yet = how the fuck does people read this, and eve subscribe to it?
> 
> I mean, it makes my day when I see I've got kudos, or that someone has subscribed. It's just I think my Shitty writing was shittier that shit. 
> 
> Too much time spent reading fanfics has made me more like Levi because a) almost every sentence I say in my house when I'm alone (that's how I practice because I can't do it any other way) contains some swear word; and b) my already sarcastic comments just got ultimate.
> 
> There was a third reason but, you know what happens when you've got ADHD.
> 
> (AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, SAY SO IN THE COMMENTS AND I WILL GLADLY EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. There's a lot of myths about ADHD (or TDAH, here Spain), and I want to do whatever I can to change that.
> 
> I also have a tumbr! Just search for hakai-no-megami and it should show up. I have the same icon I have here, so you should be able to find it.

Levi _knew_ it was going to be a long day.

 

He woke up at five in the morning or so一 if the darkness outside the castle was anything to go by, and spent the time before sunrise getting ready for the trip back to Rose. 

And so, after the Survey Corps' arrival at Rose his fears were confirmed when he saw Pixis and _the best the Garrison could offer given the fact that the Walls also need good soldiers to protect them_ , or so he'd said when the two regiments met at Karanese's Inner Gate.

So, another hour spent on travel.  _'Great. Just fan-fucking-tastic._ _'_

At that point, Levi just wanted to get into a bed and rest.  _'Hell, I'm even willingly to use the beds at MP's Headquarters一 and that could hardly be called a bed.'_

So, it's not really surprising the the moment the Captain saw Nile Dawk's face, he had to resist the urge to climb the highest tree he saw and jump from it. Then discarded the idea, realizing just how ridiculous it was. 

Jumping from the top of Wall Sina would've had better results.

* * *

Levi found his way to the dungeon on his own. _'Like hell I'm waiting for some lazy ass Pony to escort him. When they learn what 'punctuality' means, I'll think about it. But in the meantime...'_ he thought as he descended the stairs to the cells.

Clearly, the fact that the man who was supposed to escort the brat to the courtroom was _not_ doing job only worsened his already bad mood: when you wake up and the first thing you think is  _'I'm sore in places I didn't even know I had, and the last thing I want to deal with is everyone else's shit.'_ _  
_

He supposed the Ponies' creativity was scarce and thus had Eren sleep in the same cell he'd used the first time. It sure wasn't lack of money, given the location.

Good... morning, sir." said Eren with a yawn.

There was a moment of silence, before the Captain looked at the man slumped into the corner, and sighed.

“How can a human being be such an incompetent shit?", he muttered under his breath, as he picked the keys.

They were at the soldier's feet.

Eren's hand met his face. He was doing that a lot lately.

* * *

 

Levi opened the door to the courtroom and Eren entered after him, the Ponies reacted more like chickens: noisily, annoyingly, and一 It was a chaos, basically.

The Captain ignored them and went to his position next to Erwin, looking at Eren who had stopped in the middle of the room, eyeing the metal... post, pole? Levi didn't knew, so he supposed that he would call it whenever he wanted.

The brat looked at him then, as if waiting for Levi to order him to kneel on the floor, like the first time.

The raven noded to a free space next to him, and Eren's face lighted up in relief, so he quickly jumped swiftly over the fence and stood next to him, containing the urge to grin. Levi rolled his eyes.

“Silence! Captain Levi, may I know why there is not a member of the Military Police Brigade escorting you and Private Jaeger?" Asked Zackly.

“With all due respect, sir," started Levi, politely. His glance went from him to Nile, and smirked when saw the smug smile plastered on his face, “But I deemed that it would be better not to disturb the man tasked with Eren's vigilance ad instead, I picked up the keys from the ground and undid the shackles myself, not wanting to disrupt the man's sleep."

Nile's face fell when Zackly looked at him.

“I'll fix that problem, sir."

“Mmm... If that is all, let's beginning with the matter we are meant to discuss today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do I get a Beta Reader to read _**this**_?
> 
> A/N: I don't like how the majority of fanfics I've read do this thing of 'giving too much information', and thus not letting the reader figure some parts, like gaps in the dialogue when one character interrupts another.  
> Also, I'm trying to write what a person would say and do in real life, or that's what I'm trying to do. If it doesn't work, please let me kno and I'll tray tk change my writing style.

Eren rolled out of the bed and fell to the ground. He lay there for a moment, before whoever was outside the room knocked impatiently at the door again.

     With a grunt, the boy used his arms to lift himself up. “I heard you the first time, you know?" Eren mumbled making his way to the door.

     “What the fuck, dude?" He said, rubbing his eyes, “You better have a good reason to一 Ca-captain!" He saluted and tried to stiff a yawn, “I didn't know it was you, sir! I'm sorry!"  

     “Open your eyes next time, brat. Now, are you going to let me in or what?" He said, clearly annoyed.

     Eren stepped aside and the Captain entered in, surveying the room with evident distaste一 at least, it wasn't Eren's fault.  _'I almost feel sorry for the Military Police.'_  he thought, watching the older man as he swept a finger over the surface of the wooden table and narrowed his eyes.

     “Who knows when was the last time they cleaned this place..."

     “At least it's better than sleeping in that dungeon." Eren said. Then added, “These are unoccupied rooms, though. It's normal that no one bothered to clean them."

     “Still, Darius agreed to let you sleep with the rest of the Corps." Levi said, walking toward the bed and sitting, “The least they could have done was cleaning the room a little."

     Eren stood in the middle of the room, resisting the urge to fidget under that cold stare.

     Levi sighed. “Where's Kirstein?"

     “Jean?" Eren said in surprise. “He's right above you, sir."

     Levi stood up and took a few steps back一 he couldn't see if he stood right next to the bed一 and furrowed his eyebrows when he saw a _definitively_ human leg sticking out of what he had shrugged off before as a bundle of sheets.

     “What a way to sleep..."

     “Yeah, I know." Eren sighed, “I had to share room with him during the time we were in the Training Corps, and once I had to make a makeshift gag and shove it in his mouth because godammit, he really does sound like a horse when he sleeps."

     Levi looked at him, confused. “I didn't know they snored."

     “Me neither." Eren was relaxed, like he wasn't talking to the same man who had beaten him half to death, and felt bold enough to add: “But it seems like they do, if Jean is anything to go by."

     The raven rolled his eyes at the joke, but the titan-shifter didn't miss the smirk that tugged at Levi's lips, and couldn't help but thinking of it as a small victory.

      “Whatever. I'll need to use your bathroom. Seems like Dick gave me the only room of the entire fucking place with a shower that doesn't work as payback for making him the laughingstock of the whole courtroom*."

     “His name is Nile _Dick_? Really?"

     “Dawk, Dick. Where's the difference?" The Captain said, shrugging. “It sure as hell fits him, anyway."

     “Well, yeah. Go ahead. I showered yesterday right before going to bed, anyway."

     “You two are going next as soon as I finish." Levi said, with a scowl, and when saw Eren blushing realized that it had come out wrong couldn't help but groan in exasperation, “For fuck's sake, brat. Damn you horny teenagers and your hormones. Not everything has to have a second meani一 You know what? Let's forget it." He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered under his breath, “I didn't join the Survey Corps for this." He looked up at Eren, “I'll go get my clothes. It'll probably take me a while, so I expect to see you to packing whatever you want to take with you when I'm back, got it?" He said as he left the room, cutting Eren's 'Yes, sir!' as he closed the door after him.

* * *

 

Levi opened the door, but went unnoticed by the two soldiers, who were sitting at the table一 it looked suspiciously cleaner than before一 while having a normal conversation at a decent volume.

     “And you didn't ask why?" Jean asked.

     “He'd have told me to 'shut the fuck up.' " Eren answered, and added with a shrug: “He would have told me if he'd wanted to."

     “I suppose you two have all you need?"

     “Oh, good morning, Captain. I suppose we do." Jean said. When Levi lifted an eyebrow, he elaborated: “I mean, we don't know what we are _supposed_ to need, but we figured to pack the basic." _  
_

     Levi closed the door and walked to the bathroom. “Catch," he said, throwing a scroll in their direction before entering the bath.

     Eren nearly fell of his chair, and when he unrolled it, he handed it to Jean, his blush intensifying from the embarrassment.

     “I can't read," Eren admitted with clenched teeth.

     “How come?" Jean asked, and when it didn't sound teasing, Eren sighed, relieved. For once, he wasn't going to be made fun of for it.

     “I grew up in Shiganshina. It is... was the southernmost district of Maria, so it was more in the poor side. Not poor as in nothing-to-eat poor but I didn't have many of the commodities I suppose you had." He had a nostalgic look when he continued, “My dad was out of town most of the time, and my my mother didn't knew, either. Mikasa was being taught by her parents when一 and Armin said that it would be a disaster if he tried to teach me, but that he'd be glad to teach me sometime. Then, the wall fell and we simply didn't have time. And you already know the rest: I spent most of my free time we had at the Training Corps doing... that. Training. And now, wit the whole Titan thing, the only thing that could be called free time would be Hanji's experiments, so... Yeah." He finished awkwardly.

     “... You should have limited to tell that you can't read, I could've figured out the rest, you know?"

     “Can you read that damn thing, already?"

     “Alright, alright..." Jean chuckled. He read some lines and told Eren that it probably was a copy of the reports that Zackly had at the meeting.

     Their conversation died then and, for a couple of minutes, the only sound was the running water, until Jean broke the awkward silence一 having a civilized conversation like that, without wanting to rip each other's throat, was a  _new_ thing, and neither of them knew what to do一 and asked:

     “So... What do you think?"

     “Huh?" The other said in confusion.

     “About, you know..." he gestured with his hand, as if he was trying to refer to the whole situation, “This whole thing."

     “I really don't know much more than you do, so..." Eren shrugged, “But if you want my opinion, I think that this," he gestured towards the scroll, “shouldn't一 or at least there's no special need for _us_ to have it."

     “Well, those documents are kinda official and all that jazz..."

     “Yeah, but. If they wanted us to have access to them, they could have told us to wait after the meeting, or something. Not even Armin has seen them.

     As before, they didn't notice it when the door to the bath opened and the Captain step in the room, wearing a white shirt, black pants and dark leather boots instead of the uniform, the forest green cloak replaced by a gray one.

     “Do you seriously think that they're going to let a simple _soldier_  have access to what probably is classified information? You're dumber than I thought."

     “We're having a normal conversation for the first time. Don't ruin it, Horseface," Jean bit his tongue not to lash at that name. “You're right, though. But how can you explain the fact that  _we_ have a copy of that papers while Armin, whose strategic skills would be of great help,  _doesn't_?"

     “Congratulations, Jaeger," the Captain said in a sarcastic tone, “Didn't know you had common sense." Eren blushed in embarrassment, and Jean snickered, “Don't act so smug, Kirstein. It's yet to be seen if you're capable of doing something other than horsing around."

     Jean's mouth fell open and Eren doubled over the table, clutching his stomach in a futile attempt to stop laughing.

     “Alright, that's enough. We'll be leaving as soon as you two have showered, and we've wasted too much time, so hurry the fuck up." Levi said.

     The idea of going back to that place made him nervous, and even if he could conceal it with his usual emotionless face, an observant person would have known from the way he looked at the scroll, then at the two bags near the door, the beds, the plain curtains一  _'One of the brats must have opened them...'_ 一, the window, the一

     “一d we wear, Captain?"

     Levi looked at Eren as if he'd just said that titans could fly.

     “What?"

     “Well, since you're not wearing the uniform..."

     Levi knew he was going to regret it, but part of him had wanted to wear those clothes, still familiar even after all those years.

     “No, but put them in your bags. They may come in handy, at some point," he said, looking at the little drops of dew that covered the glass of the window. Didn't react when Jean said 'I'll go first' and closed the door after him. Unaware of Eren's stare, he wondered if his choice had been the right one.

* * *

 

**_“Levi, I know how you feel about this, Levi, but一."_ **

**_“No, you don't, Erwin."_ **

**_A sigh. “You're right. But I know the pain of losing something you care for." A pause. “But I knew that when I chose to join the Survey Corps."_ **

**_A smile. It's bitter, sad. “But I didn't have a choice, or have you forgotten that, Eyebrows?"_ **

**_“It's not my fault you made a deal with Lobov, Levi."_ **

**_“Stop trying to change the subject."_ **

**_“I'm not the one who's doing that, Levi."_ **

**_Silence._ **

**_“I know, I know... It's just... I don't think it's a good idea. There are too many things that can go wrong. If we make a mistake, no matter how small, we're dead. I may be Humanity's Strongest, but that doesn't mean a damn thing, not there."_**

**_“You're as stubborn as that kid. I'm trying not to lose my patience, and you're not helping. Look, I hate this as much as you do. But we're soldiers. We cannot be selfish, just because our lifestyle does not allow it. And in this case, even more so."_ **

**_Silence. A deep breath. “I'll..." Sigh. “Tell me what you have in mind and we'll see..."_ **

* * *

 

“Captain? Captain Levi?"

     “What's up with him?"

     “How am I supposed to know, Horseface?"

     “I don't know. I thought that, since you follow him everywhere like a lost puppy, I thought that you'd know一."

     “I told you already: I don't know!" Eren almost yelled. “And I do  _not_ do that."

     “Shut the fuck up, you two damn brats."

     Both fell silent and straightened their backs.

      Levi sighed before speaking.

     “I'm going back to the Underground. And you brats are coming with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is _**payback for making him the laughingstock of the whole courtroom**_ the correct way of saying/writing it? Please, tell me if you find something that's not grammatically correct and it appears multiple times. Also, if some word I may have used is not meant to be used in a certain context or if something is confusing, tell me please. I try not to, but sometimes I might slip and use the English equivalent of what I would use in Spanish, thus making no sense. Everything that's isn't a typo一 phone's keyboards suck, but having to wait till the computer wants to initiate and then having to reboot because the fucking antivirus always makes a general analysis every single single time I switch it on (using 'turn' is too funny/disturb LOL, sorry)....
> 
> Long story short, my computer sucks as well. I apologize for the typos.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, listen to Kyojin Shinkou while you read the chapter (if the song ens, please replay it); just click on **[OST]**.

**[[OST]](https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=26&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CHAQtwIwGWoVChMIpvaJ95SzxwIVyAgaCh0y5wdg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D3MbYHNPD5Ps&ei=RmzTVaa7DciRaLLOn4AG&usg=AFQjCNFuUnfQ6TCFnjeKwtAK7vSB2EAeUQ&sig2=O2oGW8CzrBG0BhdVB_a9HQ) **

 

The sound of their footsteps echoed in the stone walls of the staircase that linked Mitras with the Underground. The steps, perfectly carved in the rock, seemed to emerge from the darkness that extended far beyond the zone illuminated by their lantern.

In that almost absolute silence, Eren was left alone with his thoughts. The Captain had been acting weird since that morning. He had dismissed the thought at the time, as everything seemed at least a little weird given the latest events. What was definitely _not_ normal was sneaking in during the guard shift.

_It doesn’t make sense. How could that help us with the incidents in Sina? The MP wants to dissect me as it is; this is just going to make it worse. But… After all the trouble they went through in order to help me… It makes even less sense now, ugh!_

“Hey,” Jean said to get his attention, “You look like _really_ pissed. Something happened or that's just how your ugly face looks all the time?”

Eren shook his head. “Just thinking,” he said absentmindedly.

“Really?” Jean asked teasingly. “I thought the only thing you used your head for was to hit the ground," he added, with a smug smile.

“Screw you, horseface,” Eren retorted, and the other gave him the finger.

“Oi, you shitstains, shut the fuck up."

After glaring at the other teen with all the hate he could muster, Eren returned to his musings. Deep in his thoughts as he was, his foot found empty air instead of solid rock and, as expected, his backside met the floor.

“Ow…” he winced.

The other two males stopped and turned to look at him, Jean covering his mouth with his hand— _Yes, Jean, I know it's funny to watch me suffer, but at least have the decency of dissimulating properly, you jerk_ —and Levi with his usual bored face.

“I’ll assume you were… daydreaming or some shit,” the older man deadpanned, following with disinterest Eren's movements as he got up from the ground. “Unless you did it on purpose,” he added, raising an eyebrow. He did not give the titan-shifter the chance to talk, though.

Eren chose to deliberately ignore Jean’s snickers in favor of trying to fix his wounded pride.

“No, sir. I was just distracted.”

 _I'm going to regret this._ “Entertain us, Jaeger,” Levi said, not sounding even the least amused.

“It’s just…” He sighed, “I don’t know exactly why, but something is… _off_. No offense Captain, but you’ve been acting weird since this morning…” he trailed off, uncertain. Levi shrugged.

“The whole situation is fucked up, brat. What were you expecting? Rainbows and flowers and all that shit?” he said in a bored tone.

“Even so, it’s like I’m missing something,” Eren insisted.

“There's shit you’re not aware of, brat. Classified information about whatever the hell’s going on to which only Erwin, Pixis and Dick have access to.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Jean interjected. “If the Government needs the cooperation of _three_ branches is because the situation must be critical. Hiding information won't help at all!"

“You’re right,” Eren agreed. “Also, why bother avoiding the Military Police; they’ve been dealing with those incidents since the first case. They probably have a better idea of what’s going on.”

_Regretting it now._

“We don't even know what—"

“Oi, you two. Deducting obvious crap must be gratifying, but I already knew all of that. If, by some chance, you have a mind blowing revelation, go ahead and share it with the world. In the meantime, I want your mouth to stay closed. Or I’ll make sure you lose enough teeth to be unable to talk, am I clear?”

“Yessir!” They answered in unison.

 

A dozen of steps later, Levi felt the change in the atmosphere—the temperature decreased slightly and the air smelled like damp earth—, characteristic of the Underground.

“We’re almost there,” he said without looking at the other two males, “Don’t let anyone see your face," he adjusted his own hood so that it shadowed his eyes, “and don’t talk. Walk next to me, don’t look up from the ground. If you need to look at your sides for whatever reason, move your eyes instead of your head. And, of course, don’t call me sir or Captain. From now on, I’m not your superior and you’re not my subordinates. Keep that in mind.”

****

***

****

They heard it before reaching the end of the stairs: the faint noise of the drops of water splashing against the poorly paved streets. They fell at random intervals from the stalactites that were above their heads. Eren wanted to see what they looked like, but knew better than to disobey Levi’s orders. The titan-shifter had not expected it to be so quiet. Not silent—there was the occasional noise—but surprisingly peaceful. If he was being honest to himself, he had anticipated more… violence? Some sort of street fight? The teal-eyed soldier shrugged inwardly. Maybe it was just because the lack of activity and, therefore, of sounds.

It was that absence of noise that Levi could say he had missed. Then, the stench of decay and urine, constants in that place hit him and he remembered why he didn't hesitate to make a deal with Lobov—foolishly believing that the man would do as promised: it was not that the place stunk; it was the very air.   

The smell came out of his clothes—even though there was no need for him to wear them anymore—after washing them thoroughly with tons of soap and water several times. Actual clean, _transparent_ water. However, it took almost a month of scrubbing his skin raw at the shower for it to disappear of his body.

That month was the most painful; his friends, his _family_. The people he trusted, gone. Levi had never felt so alone among so many people.

He was at his worst; disheveled hair, wrinkled clothes—not dirty, though—and with dark bags under his eyes, red from shedding tears he ran out of long ago.

Right then Levi was useless as a soldier; he was beyond tired due to spending most nights awake, and whenever he did fall asleep, the nightmares would not let him sleep for longer than one or two hours before waking up to a night full of regret and memories, then slowly sobbing himelf to a long-awaited, dreamless sleep.

Levi shook his head, willing himself out of that train of thoughts, and looked to the two soldiers— _No. They aren't soldiers now, just brats. And I'm just a shitty thug who pretends to be the hero, even if he's no more than a fucking coward hiding behind a cracked mask._ Upon seeing his faces he decided, with a sigh, to rest by the end of the tunnel for a little bit, where the air was fresher than in the rest of the city: Eren’s tan skin had paled a little, while Jean looked outright sick.

 _Fuck no. Don’t you dare, Kirstein._ Levi waited for the color to return to their faces before heading to the gate.

As they neared the cubic building, the obnoxiously loud voices of the guards disrupted that strangely soothing silence.

Levi did not pay them attention and the trio was halfway through the also cubic opening that was the actual gate only to have a human mountain of a guard blocking their path.

The dark-haired male did not speak, and Jean and Eren chose wisely to do the same.

A small, wooden panel on the wall slided to the side, revealing a man—in whose description there was no room for the word ‘clean’ or any of its synonyms—at the other side.

“Eh,” he said with bored disdain. “Where d’ya think y’are goin’?" It was obvious that he was drunk, his words coming out slurred. As the man spoke, the stink of alcohol in his breath had Eren gagging. He looked away and took deep breaths. It was bad enough with the permanent smell of piss and rotten… something. Eren did not want to know.

Levi was just standing there, silent and immobile. Jean and Eren started to feel nervous under the intimidating stare of the guard. If he wanted, he could crush them like insects. Reassuring, indeed.

The drunk man snickered. “Hey, you. The mig- mish- midget," he smiled stupidly, probably satisfied at having being able to say it, “Did ya think we wo-ouln't see you bec-ause ya'r shrort?" he managed to say said between hiccups then let out a sound closer to a pig's snort than to human laughter.

Levi was still silent.

“But. You know wha-t?" The man's tone was—or that he pretended—slightly threatening. “You wanna go'n the city? You pay. Ya d-on't pay? Yo don't... Hey, you drwarf. 'M talkin' t'ya. Y'ar' deaf or sumthin'?"

Upon seeing that Levi was not going to move nor talk, the drunk man, visible angry, grabbed the collar of Levi’s shirt and yanked him closer to his face.

The black-haired man, however, grabbed his wrist with a grip of iron, forcing the guard to let go of him with a yelp.

He did not speak when he saw from his peripherals as the giant meat ball advanced towards them in order to stop him. But he faltered when Levi pulled out a small revolver that he had been hiding under his cloak and aimed at him. Then, pulling out the knife in his boot and pointing it to the neck of a suddenly very sober guard, he cocked his head, gesturing towards the bigger one.

“A-alright. You and go in without paying, but I need you to sing these—”

Levi did not let him finish the sentence, pressing the knife with a bit more force, enough for a drop of blood to slide down the neck of the man.

“O-or you can go without doing t-that. Yeah, you can g-go in.”

 

***

****  
****

To Eren and Jean, the streets looked almost empty, but Levi knew where to look to catch a glimpse of curious kids that stared at the trio from the shadows, eager to know who was crazy enough to go _down_ there, instead of staying on the surface.  

At his right, Jean was struggling to keep up with his pace, while Eren had done so without a problem. He looked at his left and saw the ghost of a smirk on the titan-shifter’s face. Levi rolled his eyes. He was forced to take Eren with him, but choosing Jean was a deliberate decision. He had seen the reports about how a bunch of trainees, almost out of gas and blades, had been able to cross half the District and reach the HQ with only a few casualties under Jean’s command.

The soldier had earned Levi’s respect. In that situation, even a veteran soldier would have given up.

 _He’s not brave_ , Levi thought. Jean’s body was tense, his movements were a bit forced. _He’s scared. _And though he's got nothing like that blond kid's brains—neither of them, really—he’s got the practical thinking. And that’s what we need to be right now: fast and effective. And Jaeger's an observan brat. That will come in handy _ _—Oh, it's night already.____

The Captain did not know how to feel about the fact that he could still perceive the subtle change in the dim light of the Underground, indicating the sun had gone down. Worse was when his mind conjured up a voice he wouldrather forget, even if the actual person had not said those words in that particular order:

_'Looks like you haven’t changed that much, Levi.'_

He shook his head, as if that would make it to go away, and Eren jolted. The teal-eyed male had been like that for a while, and that was weird, in Levi’s opinion.

He looked at his left and found the teen staring at him. Eren averted his eyes and Levi raised an eyebrow at the childish action. He did it again and looked back at him, slightly nervous.

Levi had to bit back a curse when he got the message: _'Look behind.'_

Someone was following them. Not that he was not expecting it. He had the possibility in mind all the time in fact, but right now his mind was busy planning what to do once they were 'safe'.

Now, that was the last thing he wanted to do. He was not going to show the exact location of his house to their stalker—honestly, Levi would be surprised if they did not know it already. Even if there were thugs that were loyal to him, life was cruel down there, and Levi was not a foolish man: he doubted that he had allies in the Underground at the moment.

Unfortunately, they had to keep walking. _There must be an alley to the right somewhere…_ Again, that accuracy was unnerving. However, after five minutes—during which they were getting closer and closer to his house—, the alley that was supposed to be there was _not_ there.

Levi stopped walking and took a fighting stance, slowly lifting his right foot to grab the knife—he did it on purpose, so that their pursuer saw. Holding the blade with his fingers, the Captain gave Jean a meaningful look, preventing him from speaking before directing his glare at Eren. Unfaced, he said, “Those bottles we passed by; the space between buildings near them.” _To the right, then._

He threw the knife, hitting the wall only four inches away from the person's head. Surprised by the sudden attack, they tripped over the bottles and yelped. By the deep voice, it was clear they were a male.

As Eren ran past him and subdued the man with a headlock, Levi could not help but to think that voice was familiar.

“He’s under control,” Eren said, stating the obvious. The man started to laugh. “... And maybe a little crazy,” the titan-shifter added, eyeing the other warily.

Levi made his way to the two males on the ground and stood before the laughing man, face hidden by his hood.

“Yeah, that’s definitely you,” the man said between laughs, “I wasn’t expecting to see you down there again, though.”

“You’re not the only one,” Levi said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “I didn’t come here willingly, trust me.”

* * *

The Commander frowned in discomfort. 

“Are you okay, Erwin?” asked Hanji.

“Yes, don’t worry, Hanji; it’s just a ringing in my ear.”

****

 

****

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEN DID THIS GET 10 FOLLOWS?! I just checked the statistics and I think I spent a whole minute just staring at the screen like, that number can't be '10', right? I think the last time I checked, there was a '2' there.
> 
> Thank you so much! I know it's not that much, maybe, but just seeing the hits increasing makes my day, so imagine the comments and follows.
> 
> I know I shouldn't change the format every chapter, but right now, I'm just perfectioning it. I'll edit the first chapters at some point, don't worry.
> 
> Also, updates may get even more sporadic when school starts again, I'm sorry.
> 
> Also, you can ask me anything, doesn't have to be about the fic on Tumblr.
> 
> [tumblr](hakai-no-megami.tumblr.com) \- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYswYkxdAQ24by4L_CjnzUw)

 

[ **[OST]** ](https://youtu.be/62zaMtxLMzU)

Levi opened the door—Farlan suspected that Lobov’s promise of Citizenship was nothing but a lure and urged the black-haired male to take the house key, just in case—and the first thing he set his eyes on were the round table and chairs Farlan arrived home one day with. He had scowled at him, but the taller male only laughed.

_“That poor bastard; I’m not sure if he’d be able to outwit the Pony Brigade—even if they weren’t a bunch of morons themselves. I almost start laughing in front of his face and the dude didn’t even notice! The chairs weren’t even part of the offer in the first place!”_

Then it all came crashing down on Levi, leaving him with a feeling of emptiness, when Haas—the ‘friendly stalker’—coughed loudly. Levi looked at him and saw that his previous carefree behavior had turned serious, almost somber.

“Brats, I want this clean when I come back, understood?” he said, looking at them; Eren had already tied a white bandanna over his mouth, while the other seemed confused. The older man stepped aside to let them in, and the shifter sighed.

“I have a feeling that if it doesn’t meet your standards, I’m the one who gets to do it all over again,” he said.

“You learn fast. The supplies are in that closet,” Levi said, pointing towards a door in the right wall. “You already know my standards, brat. You’re responsible of any mess Kirstein makes—you won’t get away with it, Kirstein. Once you finish, you can sleep on the sofa or wherever you want _after_ you’ve taken a shower. Don’t touch the beds. I won’t be back till tomorrow; try not to die during that time.”

Then he closed the door, leaving two teenagers who hated each other—most of the time—in a relatively small space. _What could go wrong?_ the shifter thought.

With a sigh, Eren went to open the built-in closet while Jean tossed his bag onto the sofa.

“I’ll take a look at the place,” he said before opening a door in the left wall that led to a set of wooden stairs. “I’ll be upstairs; yell if you need me or something.”

The teal-eyed male grunted, not really paying attention. He was sitting on his heels in front of the open closet, trying to figure out the content of each bottle, opening them one by one and smelling their content without a care in the world. After five bottles he started to feel dizzy, only then realizing that the best idea was to wait for Levi to come back. With a yawn, he put the bottles back and stood up to grab a small bucket and a cloth. He went to the sink, noticing that it was starting to rust up in some places, and turned the faucet, praying that it worked. After a few seconds of uncertainty, a brownish liquid was quickly followed by clear water—at least clear enough to be considered suitable for drinking.

“Take the broom; I don’t trust you to do a good job with anything else,” he said to the empty air as he waited for the water to fill the bucket. “Jean?” he called, looking away from the metallic container. He saw the left door open and groaned. He stopped the water and dropped the cloth in the bucket, grabbing a broom from the closet and closing it with his foot.

The stairs led to a corridor with two doors on either side— _bedrooms, I suppose_ —, one of which was open. Just then, Eren heard Jean’s shout— _“whatthefuckwasthataroach?!”_ —and thought that his voice was an octave higher than usual.

“What are you neighing about now?” Eren said to himself, exasperated. He walked to the open door and saw Jean standing on a chair, looking frantically around him.

“Don’t laugh; I _swear_ I saw something! It moved! I think it’s under the be— _don’t_ look, you _idiot_! You’re gonna make it come ou—it came out! Please, tell me that it was _not_ a cockroach.”

Eren smirked under the white cloth. _This is perfect for future teasing material._

“Open your eyes and see yourself.”

“Fuck you.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “ _Dear Maria_ , you’re such a kid. It wasn’t even a rat, just a mouse.”

“Oh, well. Better than roaches; those fly,” he said, significantly relaxed, and Eren rolled his eyes again.

“Now, can you act like a person of your age and—Nah, forget I said anything.” Eren was totally not teasing. “Just stop horsing around and help me with the cleaning. If it’s not done by the time the Captain’s back, you and me _both_ are screwed. I don’t want to have any other of my teeth removed, thank you very much.”

“ _Please_. Everyone knows by now that you’re a masochist, don’t deny it.”

_At times like this, I hate him so much that it scares me._

Eren said nothing and tossed the broom at Jean, who almost breaks his neck trying to grab it while keeping his balance.

* * *

“Erwin. What’s going on?” Hanji demanded.

The Commander looked up from the report he was reading.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You _know_ what I mean, Erwin. Don’t play dumb.”

Erwin let out a sigh. “Please, close the door and take a seat.”

She did so. “Now, tell me. What’s _really_ going on here?”

The door flew open before he had the chance to speak.

“Where’s Eren?"

A seething Mikasa stood under the doorframe, with Armin clinging to her arm in a vain attempt to stop her.

“M-my apologies, Commander, Squad Leader. She is just worried,” he said.

The girl was starting to lose her patience. “Where. Is. Eren.”

“I am afraid I cannot tell you tha—”

“I told you, Mikasa!” exclaimed Armin, “He is with Jean and the Captain!”

_And how do you know that, Arlert?_

“Come in,” the Commander ordered. Armin closed the door after him. “What makes you think that?”

“Logic, sir?” the teen said, unsure. He was expecting a different question.

Erwin put his elbows on his desk and interlaced his fingers. “Explain your logic, then.”

“W-well, sir. The Captain has been tasked with Eren’s vigilance. The Military Police is still wary of him, and right now he is more at risk than ever. The logical thing for the Captain to do would be to take Eren with him, sir.”

Hanji raised her eyebrows in amazement. She looked at Erwin, and the man nodded before looking at Mikasa.

“There is nothing to worry about; your brother is safe.” Hearing this, Mikasa relaxed a little. She still held a grudge against Levi after what he did to Eren, but Erwin was right; she would never admit it aloud, but she did not doubt that the man could do a better job protecting Eren than her in most occasions. But just because he had more experience.

 _Erwin, you manipulative bastard,_ Hanji thought, shaking her head. She smiled, though.

“I bet that you have a theory, don’t you, kid?” she asked the male soldier.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Aww, how cute!” she squealed, causing the blond to blush, “You can call me Hanji. Well, tell us.”

* * *

“Hey, has anyone seen that horse today?” Connie asked as he took a seat at the table. “Man, this looks deli—Sasha. Stop drooling!”

“I’m sure Annie knew about the food they have in there and didn’t tell us, that bi—Hello, Annie!” Reiner said to the approaching girl.

“Shut up, Reiner.”

He laughed, and Annie sat next to Berthold, putting her tray on the table.

“They let you sit with us?” asked Connie.

She shrugged. “I couldn’t care less if they didn’t,” she said without looking away from the wooden table, “But I’m sure my superiors give even less fucks about it than me.”

It was easy to tell that something was bothering her.

Berthold hesitated before asking, “A-are you okay, Annie?”

She looked at him, her expression showing surprise for a second before she looked away, her hair covering her face.

“I’m fine.”

It did not escape any of them—except Sasha—that she had spoken in a soft tone, not nearly as harsh as they expected her to.

After that, they ate in silence—the noise Sasha made when eating was easy to ignore—for a short while before the obnoxiously loud voice of a girl, who was running towards their table, startled them.

“Oh, thank Sina I found you, Annie!” The girl fanned herself theatrically with her hand, and the blonde rolled her eyes.

“What do you want now, Hitch?”

“Why are you eating with…” she looked at them, and gagged exaggeratedly when she saw Sasha, who was literally attacking her food, “... _them_?”

“They’re friends from the 104th,” Annie explained. Reined looked at her with puppy eyes, and she rolled hers.

“This one and the moron next to him are childhood friends,” she said, gesturing towards Berthold.

The girl, Hitch, noticed the pair of white and blue wings on the back of their uniforms and glared at them.

“They are _scouts_?” she spat.

“What about it?” Reiner asked. _Let’s have some fun._

“Nothing." Her tone suggested the opposite.

No one saw Annie’s smirk, which mirrored Reiner’s as he said:

“Just a quick question: is everyone in your branch like you or it’s just that you’re too dumb to be taught how to be polite?" _Man, good food **and** idiots to tease? I should have chosen this branch since the beginning._

The girl's face turned red from embarrassment.

“H-how dare you?!"

“Because I _can_ , spoiled princess. You’re free to go if you don’t like it. I sure as hell won’t stop yo—"

“Reiner, _stop it_!” Berthold snapped.

Annie chuckled. “Guess what; Bert has balls...” she murmured.

“Why are you _always_ looking for a fight? Can’t you act like a normal person _just for once_?!”

“C’mon, Bertl. You never let me have any fun,” the other said, smiling.

The taller male sighed. “You stress me out,” he said, blushing. He picked at his food, no longer hungry.

“Af yu unna e’tah?” Sasha said, or tried to.

“No, you can have it. I’m not hungry,” he said getting to his feet and left.

All of them—even Hitch—glared disapprovingly at Reiner.

“What?” he asked.

Hitch rolled her eyes. “Go talk to him.”

* * *

_I’m screwed. I’m so screwed,_ Eren though over and over. _What made me think that entrusting the broom to a horse would have good results? The Captain’s going to kill us when he sees this mess._

“Jean, if you’re doing it on purpose, I swear I’ll kick your gigantic horse ass right after the Captain does.”

“Oh, _excuse me_. I forgot you’re the Captain’s maid. Please, show me how to properly use a broom. I’m talking about cleaning; I don’t want to know what you two do in your free time.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, horseface?!”

Jean smirked and chuckled. “Oh, I don’t know. _You_ tell me, aren’t you his slave?” he teased.

“And that’s why you’ll never have a chance with my sister; because you only neigh _bullshit_.” Knowing the effect it would have on the other, Eren added under his breath: “You’re a saint, Marco,” and as expected, Jean lost his composure.

“Leave him out of this! And like you were any better,” he said, referring to Eren’s previous comment, “I still can’t understand how have you ended up with the Capt—”

“I _haven’t_ , you equine moron!”

“Oh, really? No one would say that, seeing as you’re always following him _everywhere_ like a lost puppy.”

“Are you aware that I can ask you the same question, _Jean-bo_?

“You know? Right now, your face is screaming _‘punch me, punch me!’_ But I’m a civilized per—”

“You, _civilized_? Don’t make me laugh.”

“Says the illiterate guy.”

“Circumstances got in the way, I _told_ you!”

“Did it look like I was giving a fuck? Just clarifying: I wasn’t.”

Eren bit back an insult and took deep breaths. _Ignore the horse, just don’t pay attention to him._ He resumed his task and prayed that Levi had been joking earlier. He had taken a liking to his teeth over his seventeen years of life.

“Look, Jean. I want to go to bed. Sofa. Whatever—and sleep as much as you do, so let’s collaborate for once and finish the cleaning.”

“Just this one time, and because I’m a nice guy.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever you say…”

* * *

“Well, actually it is pretty obvious: the Commander-in-Chief said that the crimes started four years ago, but subsided after the failed... ‘attempt’ to reclaim Wall Maria. However, the recent rising in criminal activity, which coincides with the 57th Expedition and the reparations of Trost—meaning that only the Military Police would be left in the Capital—has been reported exclusively in Mitras; to think that the perpetrators are criminals from the Underground, possibly members of an organized band, is not an asinine assumption to make.”

Hanji looked at Erwin, who narrowed his eyes and asked:

“And where are Levi, Jaeger and Kirstein in that picture, Arlert?” The soldier wasn’t taken aback by the intensity of the Commander’s stare.

“I’ll take that as a confirmation of my earlier supposition,” he said, and Hanji saw one of Erwin’s eyebrows twitch. _Take that, Commander Eyebrows. That’s what happens when you underestimate people,_ she thought with satisfaction. “I would say that, given the Captain’s background, it should be easy for him to infiltrate this hypothetical band and provide us with an immense advantage,” Armin explained.

There was a long, nerve-wracking silence, only broken by Erwin's chuckle.

“I wish we had more time to talk, but it has gotten late and you two need to rest," the man said, getting up. He walked behind the chair and looked through the window. “We can continue tomorrow after breakfast."

Once Mikasa and Armin left, Hanji said:

“Don't underestimate that kid; he probably has his own plan. We're lucky to have him as an ally and not as the enemy,” and Erwin hummed in agreement, still looking at the darkness outside. “I’m not sure all of that was of public domain..." the woman mumbled to herself, pacing the room.

They thought in silence for a while before the Commander spoke:

“I need you to keep an eye on the Military Police."

Hanji snorted. “You don't need to tell me to, I'm doing that already."

“Not because of the corruption."

The woman frowned and stopped. “What do you mean?"

“The Expedition had an objective.” The man turned around to look at her. “Just because it has been cancelled does not mean we can forget about it."

“You suspect of the MP." I was not a question.

“Losing Wall Maria reports no benefit to the Garrison. But another story is told within the Inner Wall."

She let out a sarcastic chuckle. “We all know the King's greed knows no limits, but that’s too much, even for him!"

After what seemed like a long silence, the man said:

“Assume nothing, Hanji. This enemy may be closer to us than we think."

* * *

[ **[OST]** ](https://youtu.be/B4oELd8_oNQ)

 

“The sky's beautiful, isn't it?"

Berthold, who was resting against the trunk of a tree, tensed up at the sound of Reiner's voice.

“What do you want, Reiner?"

“Hey, can't I spend a little while with an old friend?"

The taller male just sighed, looking at the moon, periodically obscured by the clouds, through the leaves as the blond lay on the grass next to him, with his arms under his head.

“Yes, it is..."

They listened to the crickets, feeling the breeze caress softly their skin. Reiner closed his eyes and smiled; time could have stopped right then and he would not care. He was remembering what the word ‘peace’ meant.

“It must be tiring," he whispered after a while.

“Hmm?"

“Putting up with me, I mean."

Berthold sighed again. “They told you to come, didn't they?"

“Why do you ask questions you don't want to hear the answer to?"

“Reiner, I'm serious,” Berthold said, getting to his feet, “We gave up on many things; we can't afford to lose it now!"

Reiner propped himself up on one elbow. “I'm gonna ask you a question, and I want you to give me a sincere answer; do you have the courage for another Trost?"

“W-we can't attack Trost again!" he stammered, trying to change the subject.

“I didn't mean it like that, Berthold. And you know it. Now tell me; can you?"

“I..."

“You saw Eren that day, didn’t you?” Reiner asked, and the other nodded. “You hesitated, Bertl. Why? You could have killed him, yet the only thing you did was destroy the cannons. _Why_?”

“...”

“I’ll ask you again; Do you have what it takes?” Reiner asked, emphasizing each word.

A sudden gust of wind whooshed through the tree. The sound seemed loud in that silence full of meaning, the soothing sound made by the crickets was nowhere to be heard.

“N-no. I wouldn't be able to. Are you happy now?"

“Yes. 'Cause now we can forget about it. Who's gonna be able to find us? Hell, are they gonna be able to even come here? I doubt it."

“But we have a mi—"

“No. We _had_ a mission. At some point, we have been forced to _modify_ the plan, so we choose to ‘stay aside’ indefinitely. Think that if it makes you feel better."

“But what if we are discovered?!"

“We won’t be discovered if we don’t give them a reason to be wary of us, right? We’ll just have to act like normal people.” A pause. “If we get caught, then… We’ll tell them the truth. _All_ of it.”

“That’s like signing your death sentence!”

“If that’s the just punishment, I won’t oppose to it.”

“Are you insane?!”

“Bertl, sit and relax. Hear me out, please; I’m being serious this time.”

The taller male sighed and sat hugging his legs, hidding his face between his knees.

“We'll explain it,” Reiner repeated, “To forgive us or not is up to them. And I know how bad it sounds, but in a way… I wouldn’t mind dying. I’m _sick_ of living like… like _this_."

“Like what?” asked a new voice.

“Oh. Hello, Armin. Mikasa," Reiner said, “What are you two doing out here this late?”

“We were helping Squad Leader Hanji, since Eren is with Jean and Captain Levi, to gather information about the titan’s traits that manifest even not in titan form,” Armin said.

“So that’s why Connie asked earlier…” mumbled Berthold, “Can I ask why?”

“Of course: the members of the Special Operations Squad don’t know the Survey Corps are here so the Captain went to inform them,” he explained. He looked at the girl, “Right, Mikasa?”

The girl narrowed her eyes a bit and nodded, tugging at his scarf to hide her smirk.

“I just asked Hanji where my brother was, and she said _“My little titan had to go with Short Stack—I don’t get why, though: I could have used that time to do a lot of new experiments. Anyway, Commander Eyebrows insisted that at least one more person needed to go with them. The poor midget snapped and grabbed the first person that he encountered, who was… I don’t remember his name, but he kinda reminded me of a horse…”_ and that’s when I stopped listening,” she said as they walked towards the building where the rooms assigned to the scouts were.

“Holy shit, I think you’ve talked more right now than in our three years of training,” Reiner said, his mouth agape.

Armin laughed. “Mikasa is a different person when Eren is not around,” he joked, and she elbowed him lightly.

They did not see it, but there was not a single cloud in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't looke at me like that: the Canon Divergence tag is there for a reason.


End file.
